In Nicaragua!

It´s taken two weeks, but Ive finally been able to make it to a computer long enough to make it another two weeks without one. First off, it is hard to believe that it has been two weeks already. There has been nothing here on the island that has reminded me that there is someone out there who has a schedual or keeps a calendar. Although that isnt the norm for most Nicaraguans. Im just not living a Nicaraguan life at the moment. Modern Nicaraguan life is just that. They use most everything that people in a more developed country uses, but everyone may not have all of the latest technology or it might be in a state of constant repair. People may not own a car, but they certainly used co-operatively.

Nicaragua certainly does have its differences though. The most obvious one (besides the climate) that I have noticed is traveling. I had great luck the night that I arrived because Jean-Pierre and Sandra were going to Ometepe to look at Bona Fide, so I caught a ride with them. But once here I was informed that the only way I could pay to stay here was by cash. There was no paypal option or even an atm that accepted mastercard anywhere on the island. What I was left with was traveling off the island to the small city of Rivas and coming back (maybe 35 miles round trip). This trip that would take an hour or two in the US took all day to do. I actually enjoyed seeing the island in the daylight this time, but I wouldnt want to make the trip again anytime soon. I also wish I had a camera to take a picture of how tightly the mini buses are packed with people. They are about one third the size of a school bus with little standing space, but because thats the only option besides walking, they leave no space inside and then have the daring young men climb on top. I dont really understand how the bus doesnt break down under the stress of the weight and rolling over the unpaved roads, but somehow it just doesnt. The only other thing that Im really struggling with here is the chance of food contamination. Theres nothing you can rely on here to be completely free of parasites or unsprayed by something inorganic. This makes me question whether the travel is worth the risk of your health. Its very easy to forget to boil your left over beans twice a day to keep them from going bad in this tropical weather or to leave something uncovered only to come back an hour later and find it covered in fruit flys. So far though, I am enjoying it here.

Being at Bona Fide has been a privelage to be at so far. Its very well planned out permaculturally and Ive been able to get two tours of the site so far. My favorite fact is that there are over 700 species of plants within the 48 acres. My understanding of the goal of the farm is that theyre basically trying to diversify the regions palet and planting options. Theyre planning for a future of climate change where the weather is less predictable and possibly more extreme than it is now (colder, warmer, dryer, wetter, who knows?). And they are working as a research site with the University of Vermont to develope what works best locally and what might work on a more global scale.

Thanks for reading,

Adrian

Preparation

As I sit here in Milwaukee, drinking Mate, and reading other blogs of volunteers and travelers in Nicaragua, a thousand thoughts are racing through my. It's impossible not to think about how different life will be once down there. To compare and contrast life in these two vastly different countries is something that I can only hope to scratch the surface of. Going from modern country life, to modern city life, to living out of a tent in small withdrawn finca will be quite a shock to my perceptions. I have known others who have done it (for three years!) and that is what gives me hope for myself.

The little that I know of Nicaragua from the books and blogs that I have read is this:
It is a country, like many other Latin American countries, that has experienced it's fair share of war and corruption, poverty, tragedy, and hardship. But these are only what you first hear about when you skim over the headlines. If you dig a little deeper you quickly find out that the people are what make the travel worth while. Even in the face of all that's working against them, they give what they can and more. That's what I'm hoping to find out and to give what I can back. Sure there is the second largest rainforest, the historic city of Granada, and some delicious food, but the kindness and genuineness of the people are what draw me.

I don't have many reasons why I chose to travel to Nicaragua over any other country in particular. I was planning on New Zealand for it's ease to travel and it's farming and permaculture opportunities (not to mention the landscape), but as I was getting set to go, two friends quickly changed my mind. Sandra and Jean-Pierre are a couple that I met in Mexico that were looking for land and they were eventually led to Nicaragua. In an email with them, they mentioned briefly that they were close to buying land and if I changed my mind I could come and help them start up their permaculturally designed home. It was not a hard choice to change my travel plans since I would be helping my friends and would not have to search hard for meaningful volunteer work. It also presented a great opportunity to learn the principles of permaculture first hand and to live in a culture that I am naturally drawn to. So for the first month of the trip I will be at Project Bona Fide and for the seven thereafter I will be with Sandra and Jean-Pierre.

Project Bona Fide is what I have to write about last. Project Bona Fide is a project that I was lucky enough to come across while searching for agricultural projects in Nicaragua. I had a month before I was to help my friends and I wanted to put it to good use and start volunteering right away. Their main project is located on Isla de Ometepe on lake Nicaragua (The 17th largest freshwater lake in the world). Originally inhabited by the Nahua tribe from Mexico, then colonized by the Spanish, it has long since changed and is now being slowly developed for ecotourism. The island is roughly 15 miles long and yet hosts two active volcanoes. Project BF is a project with agricultural permaculture at it's base and uses that to work with the local community. I will refrain from writing more about them for fear of writing untruths, but their website is www.projectbonafide.com and they have an excellent blog.

So I have one week left in the states to prepare myself. Next week I will be in Eau Claire with my mom and that side of the family for thanksgiving and then my flight leaves Saturday the 28th. Ready or not!

If your interested in the Nicaragua of now I definitely recommend any of the Peace Corp Volunteer blogs that are out there (http://www.peacecorpsjournals.com/?showcountryinfo,nu). Wikipedia has a good overview of the countries history and it's present struggles. The last recommendation I have is the non-fiction account of Salman Rushdie's travels in Nicaragua. The book is called The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey. It's a very insightful journalistic account of the history, poetry, culture, and public figures of the country.

Thanks for reading and inspiring me to write. Blogs are normally not my forte but this will indeed make sharing my experience much easier. I will not have to think about writing back to 80 people and then probably procrastinating and writing to no one. I know myself too well and I know that I wait too long to contact friends and family. Though, I do like email or letters and I plan to use both. Email me at llee9016@charter.net and if I ever have an address, I will surely post it.

Saludos!